Air conditioning apparatus



Sept. 2, 1941. I R. E. HOLMES 2,254,654 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS I I Filed Dec. 1, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

WlTNESSE S= INVENTOR y ATTORN RncuaaoLL-tomzs.

Sept. 2, 1941. R. E. HOLMES 2,254,554

AIR'CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed'Dec. 1, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WlTNESSESQ f 4 INVENTOR M a E RICHHRDEIHOLMEE. 51+.

ATTOR Sept. 2, 1941. R. E. HOLMES AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS,

1, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.

FIG

' v INVENTOR RICHARD E.HOLMES.

' ATTO'KEY Patented Sept. 2, 1941 AIR CONDITHQNING APPARATUS Richard E. Holmes, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 1; 1936, Serial No. 113,557

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a unit air conditioner, more particularly to a supporting structure and cabinet therefor, and it has for an object to provide improved apparatus.

A more particular object is to provide a cabinet of reduced cost.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the unit air conditioner, with parts removed to show the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of.a cover member removed from the conditioner of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of .a rubber insulated connection;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section; and,

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal partial section of a second form, which is slightly modified to include air filters at the air inlets.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the unit air conditioner includes a frame or chassis indicated generally by the numeral I 0. The frame includes vertical members II, such as angle irons, which are connected to each other by a horizontal connection l2 disposed intermediate the top and the bottom of the vertical members I I. In the illustrated embodiment, the connection l2 com prises two longitudinal T-bars I3 connecting the two front and the two rear vertical members, respectively, a transverse T-bar l4 connecting the vertical members on the left, and transverse angle irons [5 connecting the longitudinal T-bars l3 at points adjacent but spaced from the respective ends thereof. The upper ends of the vertical members may also be connected, as by four angle ironslfi, to provide further rigidity. The connections between the parts of the frame may be of any suitable form, such as bolting or welding, the latter being preferred. There is thus provided a rigid unitary frame for supporting the operating and the casing or enclosing parts of the unit air conditioner.

An evaporator I! is mounted on the frame and spaced above the connection l2 a suflicient distance to permit passage of air therebetween. It includes horizontal tubes I8 mounted in end plates IS, the latter having flanges 2| connected to the vertical members II, as by rubber insulated bolt connections 20, similar to the connection shown in Fig. 4, described below. The tubes l8 are provided with transverse, vertical plates or fins 22 for increasing the air cooling surface.- The T-bars and angle irons of the horizontal connection I2 have horizontal flanges disposed in a common horizontal plane, as best shown in- Fig. 3, and have resting thereon a drip pan 23 disposed beneath the evaporator l1 for receiving the condensate falling therefrom.

The unit air conditioner comprises a hermetically sealed motor compressor unit 24, comprising amotor and a compressor enclosed in a casing 25. The latter is provided with brackets 26 adjacent the top, which brackets are adapted to be bolted to the downwardly-extending flanges 21 of the longitudinal T-bars l3 for suspending the motor-compressor unit therefrom. The condenser 28 of the illustrated embodiment, is water cooled, and comprises a double tube coil. It is also disposed beneath the connection l2 and may desirably be carried by the casing 25, being mounted on brackets 29 attached to the casing. The motor compressor unit is preferably cooled by the condenser cooling water after the latter is discharged from the condenser. For this purpose, a coil 30 iswrapped around the casing 25 and connected to the outlet from the condenser.

A housing 3| for the condenser and the motor compressor unit is preferably provided, being attached to the downwardly-extendingflanges 21 of the longitudinal T-bars l3 and the angle irons l5. The front wall, one end wall and the bottom wall of the housing 3| are preferably formed as a. cover member 32, shown in Fig. 2, which is removable to provide access to the interior of the housing. The walls of the housing 3| are preferably lined with any suitable form of heat and sound-insulating material 33.

A top wall 34 for the unit air conditioner is mounted on top of the frame In, and may rest on the horizontal flanges of the angle irons IS with a strip of sound deadening felt interposed therebetween. The top wall 34 contains an out .let opening 35 and a grill 36 is preferably disposed within the outlet opening. A shroud member 38 depends from the top wall 34 in registry with the outlet opening 35. The top wall and the shroud member have flanges 39 and 40', respectively, which are secured together with a rubber gasket 4i inserted therebetween, by means of bolts 42 and nuts 43, as shown in Fig. 4. The bolts extend through rubber grommets 44 where they extend through the flange 40 so that metalto-metal contact between the top wall and the shroud member is avoided. A metal washer 45 may be inserted between the rubber grommet and the head of the bolt.

- tened around the shroud string. A fan 49, overhung driving motor 50, is mounted within the shroudmember 38 for effecting upward flow of air there-.

in it absorbs heat from A flexible connection 46, made of any suitable material such as rubberized cloth, is provided for conveying air from the evaporator to the shroud 38. The lower edges may be fastened to a metal strip 41 carried by the evaporator, and the upper edges may be fasby means of a draw on the shaft of its through. The shroud 38 is formed with straightening vanes cooperating with the blades of the fan 49. These vanes are formed with projectio'ns 52 to which the motor 4| is attached by means of rubber insulated bolt connections similar to that shown in Fig. 4.

The edges of the top wall 34 are downwardly, as shown at 54, and then outwardly as shown at 55 to provide horizontal flanges. The casing of the unit air conditioner comprises, in addition to the top wall 34, a skirt or tubular member 56 comprising four vertical walls for closing the four sides of the air co'nditioner. The skirt member 56 is preferably made of sheet metal and comprises inwardly-extending flanges 51 at its upper edges, which flanges are adapted to rest on the horizontal flanges 55 of the top wallfor supporting the skirt member from said top wall. Preferably, the innerwedges of the flanges 51 are bent downwardly to extend into the grooves of U-shaped rubber gaskets 58,

which are glued to said edges and 'rest dirctly on the flanges 55. The walls of the skirt member are of greater horizontal dimensions than the frame l0, thereby providing vertical passages for air between the walls of the skirt member and the frame. The lower edges of the skirt member are spaced above the bottom of the frame, to permit air to pass around said edges into said passages. Relatively narrow strips of sheet metal- 59 are preferably appliedto the lower ends of the vertical members H to close off from view the portion of the interior not covered by the skirt member 56.

The right-hand end of the evaporator H is spaced from the right-hand end of the frame Ill to provide space for other parts of the refrigerating' system, including. a float valve 5| and a centrifugal separator 62. A water regulating valve 63 is disposed between transverse angle iron l5 and the right hand end of the frame. Electrical equipment including a panel board 65, a relay 66 for starting the compressor motor, and a capacitor and transformer 61 is mounted on the frame ID at the left as shown in Fig. 3.

The refrigerating system operates in the usual manner of such'a system. Refrigerant vapor formed in the evaporator is conveyed through a conduit 69 to the separator 62, in which unvaporized liquid refrigerant is trapped, then through a conduit to the motor compressor 'unit 24 in which it is compressed. The compressed refrigerant is conveyed through a conduit II to the condenser 28 wherein it is condensed by the cooling action of the water flowing through the inner tube. The condensed refrigerant passes through a conduit 12 to the float valve 61, which reduce the pressure and controls the flow thereof. The refrigerant is then conveyed through a conduit 13 to the evaporator 11, whereand the liquid portion of the refrigerant is vaporized. Cooling water, supplied from any suitable source fiows first through the condenser 28 the right-hand of the flexible connection first bent the air passing thereover to eflect the condensation of refrigerant therein and then flows through the coil 35 to cool the motor compressor unit 24. Air from the room passes under the lower edges of the skirt member 56, through the passages between the walls of the skirt member and the frame and parts carried thereby, then flows through the space provided between the evaporator and the horizontal connection I2, over the surfaces of the evaporator, then through the flexible connection 46, past the fan 49, through the shroud 38 and the grill 38 upwardly into the enclosure in which the unit air conditioner is disposed.

The skirt member 56 is readily removable from theunit air conditioner. it being necessary merely to lift the same therefrom. The frame l0 and the parts carried. thereby are then readily accessible from all sides thereof, thereby greatly facilitating servicing of the apparatus. It will also be apparent that a very simple and inexpensive form of frame is provided. The suspension of the condenser and the motor compressor unit from the connection l2 provides a very simple and inexpensive method of attaching these parts.

In Fig. 4, I show a modified form of my invention which may be used when it is desired to provide air filters. In this case,,the end walls of vthe skirt member 56 are provided with air inlet openings'l5 and are spaced from the frame ill a distance somewhat greater than in the first embodiment. An air filter I6 is disposed on the inner side of the end wall and extends over the area of the inlet opening 15. It is preferably retained in position by means of a lower channel member 11 and an upper channel member 18. As will be seen from-Fig. 4, the bottom of the channel 18 is spaced upwardly a short distance from the top of the air filter 16, and the flange 19 of the lower channel member 11 has a vertical extent slightly less than this distance. This arrangement permits the air filter to be inserted by first inserting the upper edge into the channel member 18, passing the lower edge over the flangev 19 and then lowering the same into the channel member 11. The air filter is inserted while the skirt member 56 is removed from the frame Hi. In this embodiment, the wall of the skirt member 56 extends down to the floor, the lower portion thereof being set inwardly as shown 'at.80 to conform to the design of the first embodiment.

In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the air from the room enters through the-inlet openings 15, passes through the filters 16, through the spaces between the filters and the frame Ill and then into the space below the evaporator. The con struction and operation of this embodiment is otherwise the same as that of the flrstembodiment.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or-as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a unit air conditioner, the combination of a frame including vertical members, a horizontal connectionbetween said members intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, an evaporator carried by said frame above said connection, a drip pan below said evaporator carried by said connection, amotor-compressor unit disposed beneath said connection and suspended therefrom, a condenser disposed beneath said connection and carried by said frame, a. top wall mounted on the topof said frame, and a removable tubular or skirt casing member providing vertical walls supported by said frame. said casing member being adapted to be telescoped over the top of the frame. i

2. A unit air conditioner as defined in claim 1 wherein some walls of. the casing member are spaced from the frame and the parts carried thereby and the lower edges of said walls are spaced above the bottom of the frame to provide passage for air from the exterior of the cabinet .to said evaporator.

3. In aunit air conditioner, the combination of a frame comprising four corner posts, a top wall mounted on the top of said frame, a horizontal partition carried by the frame between the top and the bottom thereof, an evaporator mounted on the frame above said partition, a motorcompressorunit and a condenser suspended from said partition, an innercasing for said motorcompressor and said condenser. and an outer casmg comprising vertical walls disposed in spaced relation to said inner casing to provide passages therebetween leading to said evaporator, the lower edges of said vertical walls being disposed above the bottom of the frame to provide communication between said passages and the exterior of the air conditioner, and said casing member being removably supported by said frame. i

4. In a unit air conditioner, the combination of a skeleton frame, an evaporator mounted on said frame below the top thereof, a top wall mounted on top of said frame and having an outlet opening therein. a fan carried by said top wall and arranged to induce flow of air over said evaporator and discharge the same through said out let opening in the top wall, and a unitary casing member comprising at least three adjacent vertical walls for closing at least three of the sides of the conditioner, said casing member being suspended froni the top wall and being removable while said top wall remains in place.

5. In a unit air conditioner, the combination of a stationary structure including a wall having a an opening therein, an evaporator mounted on part of said stationary structure other than said wall, means forming a passage for air between said opening and said evaporator and including a duct member of a flexible material that is resistant to transmission of vibration, said flexible duct member being secured around the side of the evaporator facing said openings and providing reduction in flow area of the air passage from said side of the evaporator to a materially having an outlet opening therein, a'member providing an air passage suspended from said top wall and having the outlet end of its passage communicating with the outlet opening in the top wall, a fan and motor unit carried by said member with thefan disposed in said passage, cooling means mounted on said stationary structure below said top wall, and a duct member} made of flexible material that is resistant to transmission of vibration, for conveying air from said cooling means to the inlet end of said air passage in. said flrst mentioned member, said cooling means having a flow areafor air that is'materially greater than that of the inlet end of said air passage and said duct member of flexible materialproviding reduction in flow area from the former to the latter, whereby said fan induces flow of air from said .cooling means, through said duct member to the fan and discharges the same through said air passage and outlet opening in the top wall.

7. In a unit air conditioner, the combination of a stationary structure including a'top wall having an outlet opening, a fan shroud suspended from said top wall in registry with said outlet opening, a propeller fan and motor unit disposed in said shroud and mounted thereon, an

shroud, whereby said fan induces flow of air over said evaporator and through said duct memher and discharges the same upwardly through said shroud and saidoutlet opening.

8. A unit air conditioner adapted to be disposed within a room tobe air conditioned'and comprising the combination of a frame. airtreating elements carried by the frame, a top wall carried by the frame and having an outlet opening formed therein, a fan carried by said top wall and adapted to discharge air through said outlet opening, said top wall having a horizontally-projecting flange or shoulder whose upper surface is disposed below the upper surface of the top wall, and a skirt or side wall member comprising at least three vertical walls and having an inwardly-extending flange at the top thereof resting on said flange or shoulder of the top wallfor supporting the side wall member thereon, the upper surface of said inwardlyextending flange being at least as low as the upper surface of said top wall.

RICHARD E. HOLMES. 

